Steering-propeller



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. D. .J. REYNOLDS.

STEERING PROPELLER. v No. 431,009. Patented June 24, 1890.

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STEERING PROPELLER. No. 431,009. Patented June 24, 1890.

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STEERING PROPELLER.

Patented June 24, 1890.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DELBERT J. REYNOLDS, OF WINNEBAGO CITY, MINNESOTA.

STEERING-PROPELLER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,009, dated June 24, 1890.

, Application filed March 26, 1890.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DELBERT J. REYNOLDS, of Winnebago City, in the county of Faribault and State of Minnesota, have invented certain newandusefullmprovements in Steering Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact de scription of the invention, such as will enable 1 others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to an improvement in steering-propellers, the object being to provide simple and effective mechanism, capable of quick and perfect control, for propelling, reversing, and steering a boat; and with these ends in view my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, as will be hereinafter described,

and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompany drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the rear end of a boat, showing my improved mechanism applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a plan view. Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the clutch mechanism. Fig. 4 shows the attachment for supporting the propelling and steering mechanism. Fig. 5 is a transverse section, and Fig. 6 is an enlarged section on line as a: of Fig. 1.

A represents the boat, the same being open at its rear end above the water-level to allow the propelling and steering apparatus to protrude from the boat into the water. This apparatus is pivotally supported upon a rocking bar 1, the ends of which have bearings in the beams 2 2. This connection permits a vertical movement of the propelling apparatus. 1

B is a cylinder, the rear head 3 of which is provided with a rounded bearing 4, which is supported in the rocking bar 1 for the purpose of making a lateral movement of the steering and propelling mechanism possible. A U-shaped bracket 1 is rigidly secured to the rear end 3 of the cylinder by bolts or other means 5 5, and on the outer ends of this bracket the housing 6 is supported. The lat ter preferably is formed in two sections, the adjacent ends of which terminate in the journal-boxes 7 7, which form bearings for the propeller-shaft 8. The ends of the shaft extend outward for considerable distance, and

Serial No. 345,443. (NomodeL) have arranged thereon the blades 9 9. These blades are curved slightly along the edge which strikes the water, and they are put on so as to incline outwardly for the purpose of striking the Water graduallythat is, first at one end. This makes a silent wheel, preventing the noise and splashing in the water which is usually incident to propellinga very essential qualification for sporting boats and yachts.

The propellingshaft is rotated continuously by means of the following mechanism: A pair of gear-wheels 1O 10 are loosely mounted on the shaft at or near the middle of the latter and within the housing. These are operated simultaneously in opposite directions by the double rack-bar 11 11, and the yoke 12, which connects the latter together, is secured to one end of the piston-rod 13 by the nuts 14, or by other means, so that the bars are recipr-ocated with the piston of the steam-cylinder, and it may be added right in this connection that I the steam is applied to the cylinder through a hose 15 coming from a steam-boiler. (Not shown, but located atsome convenientposition within the boat.)

Returning again to the gearing, it may be explained that the gear-wheels are locked or clutched alternately to the shaft; or, in other words, one is locked to the shaft when it is turned in one direction and released when reversed, and the other is locked to the shaft when turned in the opposite direction and released when its motion is reversed. The clutching of the shaft is accomplished by mechanism shown in Fig.3. As the mechanism connected with both gear-wheels is precisely alike, only one clutch will be described.

The gear-wheels are recessed on theirouter faces, so that a circular rim or flange 16 is left remaining just inside of the cogs. A double cam 17 is located within tl1 6l ecess and keyed to the shaft, said cam being the proper length to leave a short space between its ends and the rim or flange 16. A lever 18 is loosely mounted on the shaft at its center, and its ends 19 19 project a little beyond the rackbars in position to be struck by across-bar 20 when it is desired to reverse the paddle-wheel. Rod 21 extends from this cross-bar to the handle 22, by means of which the cross-bar is shifted, and the handle is retained in its normal position by the tension of the spiral spring 23. The lever 18 carries a pair of frictionrollers 25, which lie in the spaces between the double cam 17 and the rim 16, and have the effect of wedges to lock the wheel to the shaft. The lever is held in position by the double spring 26, which has V-shaped lugs 27 27 near its ends arranged to bear against similar lugs 28 28 on the lever, whereby the lever is retained in the required position to effect the proper adjustment of the clutch. By way of fuller explanation especial attention is called to Fig. 3. Taking the parts just as they are illustrated in this figure, the nearer wheel is meshed with the teeth of the nearer rack-bar and the teeth of the other gear-wheel with the opposite rack-bar, while the guideflanges 27 27 (shown in Fig. 6) follow the narrow space 28, made for them between the wheels, to guide the yoke in its movements relative to the gear-wheels. The piston-rod is now drawn in, and the near gear-wheel is turned in the direction indicated by the arrow. The friction-wheels are thus wedged between the double cam and the outer rim, and in this manner this wheel and the shaft are clutched together. When the piston-rod is moved in the opposite direction, one gearwheel is reversed, and now it runs independent of the shaft; but the other gear-wheel, the teeth of which are meshed, as explained, with the other rack-bar, is now clutched to the shaft, and so they alternate, one being loose while the other is clutched, and each one being clutched while the piston-rod is moved in one direction and loose while in the other. This continues as long as the boat is propelled forward. To reverse the paddle- .wheel the cross-bar 20 is forced back, so that an end of lever 18 will strike it and the latter will be rocked to the opposite side of the lugs 27 27. The effect of this is to turn the paddle-wheels backward and back the boat, as by this means the wheels are locked to the shaft during the reverse motion.

A handle 30 is connected with the forward end of the cylinder, and it is provided with teeth 31, by which it is held in place to lock the steering and propelling mechanism at the desired elevation in the water. By means of this lever the paddle-wheels are raised or lowered; also a pair of cables 32 32, extending from the pilot or steering wheel to the forward end of the cylinder, are employed for swinging the propeller sidewise to guide the vessel.

It is important to observe that the power is communicated to the propeller-shaft at the center, thus rendering the use Of a short and small shaft practicable, and at the same time resulting in a more powerful and positive action. The mechanism is light and applicable to any style of boat, and especially to sporting-yachts and the like, where it is essential that as little noise as possible should be made, and in which provision is made for navigation in very shallow waters. and in waters filled with submarine growth, such as vines, eel-grass, &e.

It is evident that I am entitled to make such slight alterations as come within the spirit and scope of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be restricted to the precise construction set forth; but,

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The combination, with a vessel, of a propelling-wheel supported thereon, a cylinder pivotally supported in a rocking bar pivotally mounted in the boat, a piston-rod fitted within the cylinder and adapted to impart'a continuous rotary motion to the wheel, and means connected with the propeller for shifting and reversing the propeller, substantially as set forth.

2. In a boat, the combination, with a cylinder having a double pivotal connection within the boat whereby a lateral and upward and downward movement is possible, of a piston, a propeller supported on the boat and operated from the piston, clutch mechanism connected with the propeller, and reversing and shifting mechanism, substantially as set forth.

3. In a boat, the combination, with a pivotally-supported cylinder and a piston-rod therein, of a shaft carrying paddles, gearwheels loosely mounted on the shaft, a double rack-bar connected with the piston-rod and arranged to operate the gear wheels, and clutch mechanism for alternately locking the gear-wheels to the propeller-shaft, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with a shaft having a pair of wheels loosely mounted thereon, said wheels formed with recessed outer faces and having circular rims or flanges, of a double cam loosely mounted on the shaft which supports the wheels, a lever, and rollers journaled on the lever at points between the cam and circular rim, and means for holding the lever in position, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination,with a shaft, sets of paddle-blades secured to the shaft so that their outer ends incline outward, and a pair of gear-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft, of double cams keyed on the shaft, a lever loosely mounted on the shaft and carrying friction-rollers adapted to act as wedges to clutch. the cams to the gear-wheels, spring de vices for holding the lever in position, and a double rack-bar having its teeth meshed with the teeth of the wheels, whereby the latter are operated by the reciprocations of the rackbar, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with a suitable support, and a shaft journaled in the support and having paddle-blades on its outer ends, of a pair of gear-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft at its center, means for clutching said wheels to the shaft alternately, and donble rack-bars for driving the wheels, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a suitable support, a housing secured to the support, said housing having journal-boxes therein, and a shaft revolubly supported in the boxes, of gearwheels loosely mounted on the shaft, clutch mechanism,and double rack-bars for driving the wheels, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a pivotally-supported cylinder, a U-shaped bracket secured thereto, a sectional housing, the ends of which terminate in suitable j ournal-boxes, and a shaft journaled in these boxes, said shaft carryin g outwardly-inclining blades on each end, of gear-wheels loosely mounted on the shaft,

clutch mechanism forlockingthein to the shaft, a piston-rod, double rack-bars, a guide-flange thereon, and means for reversing the shaft and for raising and lowering the propellers and swinging them laterally, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

DELBERT J. REYNOLDS.

WVitnesses:

W. L. McGRAcKEN, CYRUs H. BLooD. 

